Dappleshadow's Secret
by Zerotheghostdog
Summary: Dappleshadow has a secret that is let out at the gathering. For The Misguided Writer's Warrior's Challenge Forum. The Cat's Out of The Bag challenge.


Deernose looked at her sister, disbelief making her head spin. Dappleshadow looks at her ginger paws, not willing to meet her sister's blue gaze. How could she? She had always been popular in the clan, had always been placed on a golden pedestal. Plus, the green eyed, white and ginger she-cat Deernose called her kin had been an amazing warrior. She couldn't give that up just because of a slip-up! Sure it was a big one, but no one had to know!

"Dappleshadow! You can't! You can't become a medicine cat!" I hear Deernose cry as I walk through the woods. I flick my ears towards my clan mate's voice.

"But, Deernose! I loved him! And he was from Shadowclan." Dappleshadow sounds distressed. I stand behind a tree, and listen. I was taught that eavesdropping was wrong at a young age, but I couldn't help it. My best friend in love with a Shadowclan fox heart? That couldn't be right!

"No one will ever have to know!" The black, brown spotted she-cat yell whispers. Dappleshadow meets her sister's emerald gaze for the first time.

"Deernose, I have to. I don't feel right as a warrior anymore." Dappleshadow sounds on the verge of tears. The she-cat rubs a paw over her muzzle.

"No!" I whisper. Deernose's head snaps over in my direction, and I feel my heart skip a couple of beats. I borrow myself in the shadows, thankful of my dark gray fur. Deernose sniffs the air, and her green eyes gleam.

"Who's there?" She calls, sounding nervous. I hold my breath. Deernose gets up and walks around. Then the black spotted she cat goes and sits in front of her sister.

"Must have been a bird." she mutters. Then she looks at Dappleshadow. "Let's go home." She says, getting up. Dappleshadow hesitantly follows her littermate. Her eyes glance around, nervously. I keep hidden in the shadows of the tree, and after a couple of minutes, run the complete other direction.

By sunhigh, I've managed to catch some prey, so I decide it's safe to come to camp. When I walk through the honeysuckle screen, I scan the camp. No sign of the traitor and her sister. I push that thought to the back of my head. Dappleshadow wasn't a traitor; she just fell in love.

I put my prey into the pile and grab a small brown mouse. I'm not that hungry, so I wouldn't eat a huge creature. I'd save those for the queens. I take a bite of my mouse. It's bland and tasteless. I finish it any way. Prey was hard to catch, so there was no way I would waste it.

I pick up a squirrel and head towards the nursery. I am met by the squeal of kits.

"Hi, Wolftuft! Hiya, Wolftuft! Hello Wolftuft!" All the kits speak at once. I smile.

"Hello, kits. Where's your mother?" I ask. The kits prance to my sister, Dawnfire. She gives a thankful smile to the squirrel.

"The kits are more energetic today then most days." She sighs. I give a half smile, and also give her the squirrel. She starts eating it as soon as it lands in front of her.

"I'll see you soon." I purr, and walk out. I hear the kits in the back saying good-bye. I smile and yell bye. Then I see Dappleshadow and Deernose, and both sets of eyes are looking around, scared. My heart lurches. I can't talk to them, not now. I walk out of the camp again without meeting their gazes.

When I return back to camp, a meeting is being held. "The new medicine cat apprentice is Dappleshadow. I hope she trains as best as she can to her abilities, and will serve our clan well."

I stare, dumbfounded as Dappleshadow is met by calls of pride. Then, Sparrowstar goes on.

"The cats going to the gathering tonight will be Dappleshadow, Wolftuft, Deernose…"He lists nine other cats, the jumps off the rock. I glance at the sky. It will be moon high soon. I decide to go rest before we have to go.

_Dappleshadow runs through the woods to the Shadowclan border. She waits, and is met by a large black tom with blue eyes. Cinderstar. Cinderstar rubs his cheek against hers and purrs._

_ "It's been too long, Dappleshadow." he says_. _Dappleshadow looks in his eyes and smiles sadly._

_"And this will have to be our last meeting." She sounds sad, distant. Cinderstar's eyes widen in shock. _

_ "B-but I love you!" the Shadowclan leader stutters. Dappleshadow licks his cheek. _

_ "I love you, too. But your clan needs you. As mine needs me." She sighs sadly. _

_ "Come to Shadowclan." He whispers. Dappleclan looks at him, torn. _

_ "I can't… I would, but all my family…" Cinderstar nods. _

_ "I understand. I will always love you, no matter what." Cinderstar saws, and slinks back into the shadows of his territory. Dappleshadow sits, and watches her one love leave forever. _

I wake up with a start. That was the weirdest dream, and somehow, I felt like it had happened. I get up and stretch.

"All cats going to the gathering, it's time to go!" Sparrowstar calls. I walk out and walk beside Dappleshadow. She seems shifty, skitterish. I think it's because she knows her forbidden love will be there. I touch my tail tip to her shoulder. She jumps when she feels it.

"You seem nervous." I observe. Dappleshadow looks at me with a look.

"I don't know how the other medicine cats will react, me originally being a warrior and all." Dappleshaow lies. I give her a sad look.

"Okay…" I say, and keep walking. We get to the tree that connects the island to the mainland. I walk across it, wobbling every so often. I get to the end and jump off. I walk to the clearing and sit by my friends from Shadowclan and Riverclan.

"Does Cinderstar have a mate?" I ask, before I could stop myself. My friend, Sapfoot, looks at me, an odd look in her amber eyes.

"No, why?" she asks, confused. I rack through my brain.

"He's the only one that doesn't, which is odd." I respond, the panic starting to kick in. I think my dream was true. Soon after, the gathering starts.

"Windclan has nothing to report." Harestar nods to the Riverclan leader, Fishstar.

"Oneleaf has retired to the elders den, and Bashfulpaw was killed by a fox. We successfully killed it in his vengeance." Fishstar nods to Cinderstar. The large, black leader hesitatesbefore speaking.

"Sparktail has joined Starclan, and we caught the scent of Thunderclan on our border." The two sided fox heart! He was the reason that there was Thunderclan scent! I see Dappleshadow look at her paws. He nods to Sparrowstar.

"Thunderclan is doing well. We have three new kits. Dappleshadow is our new medicine cat apprentice after deciding that the warrior path was not right for her." Sparrowstar finishes.

"Because Cinderstar went against the warrior code." I say, without thinking. Cinderstar looks at me with cold, icy blue eyes.

"Dappleshadow was the one to love me first!" He hisses back, and realizes what he has done. Dappleshadow gets up and runs away. I go running after her. I find her body on the edge of the cliff that's at the end of the island.

"Dappleshadow! No!" I yell. Dappleshadow looks back at me, a sad look in her eyes.

"Good bye, Wolftuft." Then she then she throws herself off.


End file.
